World Hepatitis Day

July 28 is World Hepatitis Day, a day to recognize and confront the global burden of hepatitis. 500 million people around the world are currently infected with chronic hepatitis B or C and one in three people have been exposed to one or both viruses. Together, these viruses kill approximately one million people a year.

World Hepatitis Day is one of only four official disease-specific days recognized by the World Health Organization. Hepatitis is a disease marked by inflammation of the liver and can have a wide range of causes; one of the most common causes of chronic (long-term) hepatitis is viral infection. One such virus, hepatitis B, can be prevented through vaccination. In this creative video, three unwise monkeys tell us why we should know and confront hepatitis.